Blossoming Bliss
by ALovedOne
Summary: "I'm pregnant." It's a phrase that replayed in his head constantly since he first heard it. He felt his excitement rise again and could not suppress the giddiness that came along with it. They were going to have a baby. There was going to be a mini Castle or a mini Beckett running around. They were going to have a baby. A baby.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This is based on a prompt I saw on tumblr in which Castle speaks to his unborn child every night from the first to last month of Kate's pregnancy. Pure fluff. Will have multiple chapters. Every view/favorite/follow/review is always appreciated. Enjoy! :)

* * *

 **Month 1**

It is almost 3 a.m. when he slips into bed. He has been in here two hours ago, but the day's news have kept him awake, unable to even consider sleep. Kate is already asleep on her side of the bed, completely oblivious to his temporary absence.

* * *

Castle and Beckett talked and hugged and kissed until midnight when the exhaustion finally took over and pulled her into sleep. And he tried and tried, but after what felt like an eternity, he gave up on tossing and turning, trying to sleep, and instead moved into his office.

Writing usually calmed him down, gave him the possibility to process and deal with almost anything life threw his way. Tonight, however, he never managed to form a coherent sentence, his thoughts racing too quickly to put on paper.

So instead, he browsed the internet and watched funny YouTube clips. He tried occupying his mind, because he was sure sleep would never find him if he could not keep himself from thinking about today over and over and over again.

 _"_ _I'm pregnant."_

It's a phrase that replayed in his head constantly since he first heard it.

He felt his excitement rise again and could not suppress the giddiness that came along with it. They were going to have a baby. There was going to be a mini Castle or a mini Beckett running around. They were going to have a baby. A baby.

He got up from his desk, incapable of sitting any longer, and grabbed one of the books from the shelves. Maybe reading a crime novel would be a good idea. The grim mood might help him regain his composure. But after reading the same page for the fifth time, his brain refusing to focus, he gave up. He tossed the book on the couch he sat down on.

There was no way he could focus on anything else anytime soon.

After all his failed attempts to distract himself, he finally decided that there was no reason he couldn't just stay in bed with his wife, even if he was sleepless for the remainder of the night. Then at least he would not be wasting time, wouldn't be wasting a single precious minute that he could spend with the love of his life – and his future child.

* * *

He shifts and drapes an arm around Kate. She looks so peaceful in her sleep, and he feels himself overcome with a sense of gratitude at the sight of her.

Rick still doesn't feel tired. Frustrated, he turns on his back and stares at the ceiling. He lays there in silence for several minutes, before eventually letting out a sigh and beginning to whisper into the quiet bedroom.

"Hey there. I'm aware I'm kind of speaking to myself right now. I'd be writing if I could, but it seems like that isn't a possibility right now. So here I am talking. Words help me, even when they're not on paper," he begins.

He pauses for a moment and makes sure that his talking isn't waking Kate up.

"I only heard of your existence a few hours ago, but I already have so much that I want to tell you. And I figured, why not start now? How about I start with how you became the biggest surprise of the day? Definitely one of the biggest surprises in my life.

"Kate, your mom, and I, we'd considered the possibility. I just didn't expect it to happen so soon after… after everything that happened not that long ago. I'll tell you about that some other time," he murmurs, not sure if that is a story he will ever want to tell his child.

Remembering the horror in Alexis's eyes when she realized that her father was in mortal danger is something he doesn't want to relive. It still makes him shudder. But he is always trying to be honest with her, and he will continue to try with the new one as well.

Maybe one day, when their child is older, they can explain. But for now, Castle wants to focus on the happier moments of his life.

"I was out all day. Tons of meetings, a signing, running errands. I don't usually come home after Kate does, but today I did. I was really glad to see her after such a long day. I'm always happy to see her. Even when she's grumpy.

"She's been a bit silent and closed off. But she's like that sometimes. But she's also been grumpy a lot recently. That's unlike her, but I figured that work has been extra stressful, you know? Kate is the best detective ever. She's a Captain now, because she's so good at what she does. I visit when I can, I bring her coffee when I can to make her smile. And I work cases when I'm allowed to, just so she has less to worry about."

He falls silent momentarily, thinking back to the past two weeks. Now that Beckett is Captain, he couldn't shadow her quite as often, nor is she working in the field as much as she used to.

And as much as he loves just watching her, he still avoids doing so when she is doing paperwork.

Instead, he hung out with Ryan and Esposito a bit more. It wasn't the same as working with Beckett, but at least he continued having insight into cases. Castle had at least managed to help the boys with one case, his slightly obnoxious theory giving the two an idea for another possible suspect, who ultimately turned out to be the killer.

Kate was really pleased to see another case wrapped up. It temporarily lifted her mood, but for a reason neither Castle nor she could figure out, it quickly dropped soon after.

She seemed fine one minute, and then snapped at the people around her for no apparent reason.

It's so obvious now.

"When I came home today, she told me she'd been in the field today. She doesn't get to do that a whole lot anymore, but she misses it. But things weren't completely normal today. Apparently, when she saw the corpse, she threw up. That's unlike her too. I was really worried when she told me, until she gave me an explanation."

His mind drifts to the past evening when he'd returned from his day out and settled on his couch with her.

* * *

 _"_ _You threw up?!"_

 _"_ _Castle, if you'd just listen for a minute, I can explain."_

 _"_ _Are you sick? Should we go see a doctor?"_

 _She chuckled. "I already did."_

 _His eyes widened in shock. "You already did?" he asked. "So it's serious? What's wrong? Kate, please just tell me."_

 _She sat up straight. "I was worried too, you know. I've been so moody recently, and I never throw up, especially not because of a murder victim, but I just felt so weird."_

 _"_ _So what is it?" Rick pushed, eager to understand._

 _"_ _I described all my symptoms and everything that's been weird lately. I think, deep down, I already had my suspicions, but it seemed too absurd. Given that I'm a detective, it's almost stupid I didn't figure it out sooner," she laughs._

 _"_ _What is it?" he asked again impatiently._

 _He could see Kate's eyes glistening, which only caused him to worry more. He took her hands into his, searching for her gaze. When her eyes met his, she smiled._

 _"_ _I'm pregnant."_

 _It was a simple statement, direct, and yet he found that he stared at her in disbelief._

 _He was motionless for a moment. And then, he understood, and tears he hadn't noticed welling up were rolling down his cheeks._

* * *

"I think I cried more than she did," he admits quietly. "Part of me thought she was playing a prank on me at first. But she showed me the test and the doctor has apparently confirmed it. I didn't think I could love her more, but I do. I'm so happy."

He takes a breath as he feels water stinging in his eyes once again.

"We haven't told anyone yet," he whispers. "You'll be our little secret for a little while longer. Not too long though. Kate and I once tried to hide our relationship, and we were pretty bad at that too. My mother knew from day one, I told my daughter about it not soon after… Ryan almost made a suspect cry to find out who I was dating."

He almost laughs out loud at the image of Ryan interrogating their suspect from the Hamptons.

When Castle first heard that someone who could possibly reveal their relationship had been interrogated by Ryan, he was so scared that their secret had been uncovered and that their partnership would end as soon as word made it to Captain Gates.

Now, however, he finds the idea of the detective pushing Lerner to discover his girlfriend's identity pretty amusing. He actually laughed out loud when Ryan told the story to him several months later.

"And then, I managed to get myself into trouble – I do that a lot, you'll get used to it – so eventually, Esposito and Lanie found out as well. So I think it's safe to say that you won't be our secret for very long. Stuff like that happens when you're constantly surrounded by great detectives... or a mother who likes sticking her nose into other people's business."

"I'm so happy," he repeats. "And I'm so happy to see how excited Kate is too. There weren't a lot of reasons for us to smile during the past year. Now we have a reason, and it's enough to make me think that my face might stay in this position if I continue. Smiling so much actually kinda hurts."

He smiles as he says it.

But after everything that happened last year, all the battles they fought, hurting from smiling too much isn't the kind of pain he minds.

"I would appreciate, however, if I could while I sleep. I fear that you'll keep us on our feet enough when I can physically hold you, and I'd like to be able to rest before that day comes," he jokes.

He yawns, his monologue having succeeded in helping him process the day's events. He feels like this won't be the last time he'll be talking to his unborn child.

It takes a while, but eventually, he is able to drift into sleep, his peaceful expression matching Kate's.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Wow, thank you. I never would have expected this kind of feedback! Thank you so much for the favorites, follows, and kind views. It's really encouraging. :) **  
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* * *

 **Month 2**

"Hey again, squirt," he starts.

He has been talking to Kate's not-yet-visible bump a lot.

More accurately, he has whispered a lot to himself at night, when he failed to sleep again while his wife was out. By now, it has also become a habit.

The words flow almost automatically. Once he is sure that Kate is asleep, they fall from his lips. He discusses everything he wants to, often relieved when he notices how talking to his future child is almost therapeutic and aids him with feeling more rested when the excitement is bubbling again.

It's been over a month since she made the announcement that changed their lives. By a fairly accurate estimate, she's two months pregnant now.

And still, only the two of them know. Castle insisted that they wait for a little while longer for reasons even he couldn't put into words. Kate, knowing that she might be treated like she is made of porcelain once the precinct got word, happily agreed.

It is their little happy secret that they eagerly discuss almost every time they are alone.

"To our own surprise, no one has actually suspected us yet. But if she continues to be surrounded by some of the best detectives, it's only a matter of time before they find out. Or they already have and are nice to let us decide when we want to announce it."

He smirks. That would be like them, but even then, he knows, it is only a question of when their curiosity becomes too much and overwhelms their sense of tact.

Much like with their relationship, he expects, where they had been granted secrecy and privacy at first.

Until the cat was officially out of the bag, they were no longer safe from the teasing and unsolicited advice from both the team and his family.

"From what I've heard, you're growing. But honestly, that's no surprise. Considering all the weird stuff Kate has been eating recently though, it will also be no surprise if you have grown a tail. It's honestly kind of gross. And that's coming from _me_ ," he giggles.

"I'm the weird eater of the family," he informs his child. "But maybe you get that from me and make your mom want all these things."

Your mom.

When he first spoke to his child, he refrained from calling her that, the sound and still a little foreign to him. But as the days passed, it started to become more natural.

Kate Beckett, mother of their future child.

Now, it doesn't just sound natural, it sounds like one of the best things he has ever heard.

Kate Beckett, the smartest, most beautiful, strongest woman he has ever known. And he is lucky enough to have her standing by his side.

Warmth spreads through him.

By now, he is referring to her as mom so frequently, he has to watch it when they are around people. One slip of his tongue, and, with his luck, not only their family or friends from the precinct will know, but every person who pays attention to page six.

Rick shakes his head and returns to discussing his wife's newly found eating habits.

"She's been eating salt and vinegar chips a lot. She used to hate those and wrinkle her nose every time she saw me eat them. And now we can't get groceries without getting a bag. Although I still eat like… half. She is still trying to be healthy sometimes. Not that all the takeout we got before that was always particularly healthy.

"Speaking of takeout, she now gets the spicier options too. And this one time, she actually ate pickles. _Pickles_. They taste good, but isn't that such a cliché?" he sighs dramatically. "And let me tell you, squirt, Kate Beckett is not the woman that follows stereotypes."

He actually laughed at her when he caught her sitting at the breakfast bar with a jar in front of her.

She tried to give him a glare, but the attempt fell flat. She was unable to stop a grin from spreading across her face as well.

He has made sure that there is always a jar in his fridge since that day.

"I feel like we need to have a serious chat. I never thought I'd have a serious chat with you so early on, but it's something important, okay?

"You, dear squirt, have been a little mean," he scolds. "Thanks to you, Kate has been throwing up a lot, and she feels nauseous sometimes. You are currently using her body to grow, so could you be the nice tenant I know you want to be and bother her a little less?"

He readjust his position on the bed slightly, careful not to disturb Kate.

"She can be a bit cranky when she is feeling extra bad. It would truly be in her – and my – best interest if you could let her relax a little more."

And everyone else's. She has been giving people at the precinct a tough time. Not because she was intentionally being mean, but because she ran out of patience quicker and wanted everything finished as quickly as possible so that she could return home and rest. And throw up some more.

That part has perhaps been the hardest to hide from her colleagues. Kate often remarks that she couldn't understand why it was called morning sickness if it could happen at any point during the day.

Leaving in the middle of a meeting in a rush, hardly managing to excuse herself, is not a subtle way of disappearing. Yet, it happened twice already.

Kate actually avoided trips to the morgue now. He doesn't know if that's because the smell is more upsetting to her stomach, or because she fears that her best friend will be quick to detect why she's been in such unpredictable moods lately.

Ryan and Esposito haven't questioned their Captain's behavior openly thus far, but with everything that happened with LokSat, they are likely to become suspicious if she acts more closed off and secretive than usual. The care and protectiveness the boys display is actually rather sweet, he thinks. Hardly any of them ever discusses the bond that they have, but the boys try to show that they will always have her back at every opportunity that presents itself.

And - with what they learned through past experiences of working with Beckett - her suddenly acting differently and witholding something from her team could raise concern.

But Castle knows her secret, and so he fully comprehends why she is so irritable sometimes, why she raises her voice one moment and apologizes the next.

"There are other tells as well. Some days, she complains about her boobs being tender. I offered a massage to help with that, but oddly enough, your mom didn't find it so funny," he chuckles to himself. "Maybe this is not appropriate to discuss with your child, but I have a feeling you cannot hear or understand me yet.

"But, if you do, please know that, despite all the less pleasant side effects, we are so excited to meet you. I don't even know how I'm going to contain my excitement over the next several months. I probably won't," he states.

In fact, neither he nor Kate seem to be able to stop smiling these days. His prediction from a month ago came true.

But he thinks that is a wonderful thing. The sight of his wife practically beaming at him is something he will never grow tired of.

She still frowns too, of course, especially when she has had a long day or if their unborn baby has been giving her a hard time again.

He feels bad that she has to go through this, wishes that he could make it stop. But she assures him that it's worth it and that he is already doing everything that he can.

And he is. Castle is by her side whenever he can be, does everything she asks and more.

"I just want this to be the wonderful experience it is for me. And I don't want to have to worry about her passing out at work. I don't want this pregnancy to be a risk for her."

He already worries about her too much. He knows her job can be dangerous, he very willingly puts himself in that danger all the time, but it's so much easier to accept it when he is by her side. When he can see that she is safe, and isn't forced to wait for a text or call to know if she made it back unscathed.

The only consolation he has is that, nowadays, she isn't in the field quite as often, but he very well knows that that doesn't put her out of harm's way entirely, that she still deals with dangerous people on a daily basis, even if she isn't actively chasing them with a gun.

And he isn't, can't always there for that.

* * *

Castle falls silent when he notices Kate stirring. He can tell her eyes slowly open in the dim lighting of the bedroom.

She feels him watching her and her gaze meets his in the dark.

"Need to pee," she grumbles.

Kate pushes the covers back and gets up to go to the bathroom. When she returns, she cuddles into his side.

"You should sleep," she murmurs, gently placing a kiss on his cheek.

"I tried… too much on my mind right now," he explains.

"Keep this up, and you will need even more sleep than I do," she laughs.

It's true, he realizes. He has been staying up late a lot. If he wasn't talking to their baby, he was in his office writing, the late hours sparking his creativity as they so often did before.

But because he is trying to relieve her of some stress, he was also constantly at the precinct with the boys, trying to solve case after case, which meant an early start to the day and not getting home until the evening. If there was any time to spare at all, he also quickly dropped by his P.I. office.

Even his own mother had remarked that the circles under his eyes have adapted a new shade of purple.

"I might not go to the precinct tomorrow," he offers.

He probably wouldn't be much help in his sleep deprived state anyway.

She nods in agreement. Kate knows he just wants to support her, but that doesn't mean that she likes seeing him work himself into the ground.

She has tried to persuade him to stay home several times before, but he was persistent. This is the first time he volunteers to stay home, not because his other obligations such as meetings and writing force him to.

"That sounds like a great idea. Maybe we can go out to dinner tomorrow? Just the two of us?" she suggests. "A little reward for us both."

He smiles. "It's a date."

Kate falls asleep shortly afterwards, getting all the rest she can before her alarm rings or their little one decides Kate needs the bathroom again. Castle isn't sure which one will happen first.

"Be good," he shoots a warning in the direction of Kate's stomach.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I really cannot thank you guys enough for your feedback. Keep the reviews coming, they are so, so appreciated, as are all the follows/favorites for this story. Thank you, truly. On with chapter 3, hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Month 3**

It's the afternoon when Castle speaks to their child this time. He and Kate went to a doctor's appointment and got back an hour ago. Kate felt tired, and so it did not take long for her to fall into a slumber on the couch they have settled on.

Castle watches her as she breathes steadily, still amazed by the woman he is proud to call his. Still amazed by the thought that they would soon have a child that was _theirs_.

There was a time where he would have never thought that he would have another child. And he was completely fine with that. Alexis is everything he could have hoped for; a caring, loving, smart human being he is proud to call to call his daughter.

Even when Kate and he got together, he still didn't expect to become a father again. After all, they tiptoed around the subject that was their future together. If you couldn't discuss where your relationship was headed, the baby talk would definitely not be brought up by either of them.

Even when they got engaged, the topic didn't come up all that often. Although they were confronted with it once they took care of baby Benny during a case, and whenever a self-proclaimed time traveler informed them that they would have three kids. It was something that was always brushed off with a brief remark or joke, never to be discussed again at a later point.

Even once it was clear that Kate wasn't totally opposed to the idea of having a few kids of their own.

How far they'd come.

"I'm not sure if I can talk to you undisturbed. Kate wakes up suspiciously often. I thought I told you to be good?"

He gently strokes up and down her legs which she has draped across his. Castle takes his eyes off of her, and instead looks in the direction of the photo placed on the coffee table.

"I saw you today," he murmurs. "I saw you on a screen today, and it confirmed you're really there."

A small sob almost escapes him, and he almost laughs in response. He is getting way too sentimental.

* * *

Before they went in for the first ultrasound appointment, Castle kept pacing, practically jumping up and down, while Kate went really quiet. Worry was visible on her face, and all the reassurance and comforting from Rick didn't seem to be able to wipe it off her face.

Not until she had the ultrasound and stared at the screen in wonder. And even Castle shut up for a moment as they watched the grainy black and white image that showed them their child.

The screen had his full attention, until he heard Kate cry.

It was almost silent, but his ears picked up the barely audible sound immediately.

When he kissed her on the forehead and brushed away some of her tears, her gaze finds his.

"That's our child," she whispered.

He nodded. "That's our child," he confirmed.

He noticed how the sonographer politely averted his eyes, probably used to the emotional outbursts. He probably saw them countless times before, and Castle was almost certain that they weren't going to be the last couple in tears in that room today.

When the moment was over, they listened to the expert explain a few things, some of which hardly registered with Castle.

But Kate was attentive, taking every word in, careful not to miss out on important information. Should Castle have any questions later, he was sure he could ask her.

They could take a picture home, and he never wanted to stop staring it.

But they hid it in Kate's purse before they left the office and did not take it out until they made it home. The risk of them being spotted together was already quite high and could cause speculation if they were seen leaving their current location. But if they held the actual picture in their hand, there was no way they could deny anything or claim that they had gone to the office for a completely different reason. And so it stayed in her purse.

* * *

"I saw you on a screen today, and you were really blurry," he starts again. "So that means that I couldn't tell whose features you will have just yet. But you have pretty good genes, so I already know you are going to be gorgeous."

He gazes at Kate again as he continues speaking. "I hope you have her eyes though. I get lost in them every time. They change their color all depending on the lighting. It's fascinating to watch," he explains.

When he had told her this years ago, she'd rolled her eyes at him, but he could see the smile that appeared on her face as she had turned and walked away in order to avoid having to respond.

One time, one of the few occasions on which he had seen her drunk, she confessed to him that she loved his eyes too. Followed by "oh, don't gloat," when he smirked.

"I'd still love it if you would have her eyes," he continues his thoughts out loud. "But even if you don't, there are so many other fascinating features and traits you could inherit. Your mom is so much more than just her looks, you know?"

 _You know what I thought when I first met you? That you were a mystery that I was never gonna solve. Even now, after spending all this time with you, I'm still amazed by the depths of your strength, your heart and your hotness._

He still remembers that day as if it was yesterday.

"So, much more important than her good looks, I hope you have her brains. Except maybe with a little bit of my creativity and imagination… I need someone to support me when I come up with conspiracy theories and alien invasions," he points out.

"And maybe my optimism," he adds. "We could do with a little more of that sometimes. Although I'm rubbing off on her."

 _That's why I wanna marry you._

"But, let me tell you, despite her occasional mood swings, even the ones not related to pregnancy, we couldn't be happier. I think the last time I felt so happy was when your big sister was on the way. I don't think I've told you a whole lot about Alexis yet."

Rick leans back slightly, careful not to bother Kate in her sleep.

His gaze rests on Kate's stomach for a moment, fascinated by the gentle rising and falling that indicates she is still sleeping peacefully.

Odd, he thinks, that they could have visual evidence that this is all real, really happening, yet her stomach hardly displayed any signs. Her stomach has only gotten slightly bigger, the change so small she could still claim that it was only due to a big lunch. But Kate has started to wear more loose-fitted tops that won't draw attention to the minimal changes in her physique nonetheless.

Castle isn't even sure why they still haven't told anyone.

At first, it was due to Kate's worry that her colleagues would handle her with greater care than necessary, and Castle's wish to enjoy the moment in privacy with his wife, before others – particularly the press, since information like this was always bound to leak eventually, no matter how few people you tell, but also acquaintances – would hear and inevitably question him on her pregnancy every time he interacted with anyone.

Then, it was due to the fact that both wanted to make sure that the baby would be okay, that her pregnancy progressed as it should.

Now – he doesn't know what is keeping them from revealing it now. Everything was great. Perhaps it was just that they made hiding it a habit; her excuses for leaving a room suddenly to go to the bathroom already tumbling from her lips before she can stop herself, his made-up explanations for when she seems particularly emotional an automated reply in the rare instances one of the boys dares to ask about their private lives.

He almost feels guilty, keeping something this big from the people he cares about most.

"Alexis will be so excited to meet you, squirt. She doesn't know yet, but she will soon, I promise. I don't like keeping secrets from her. I always try to be as honest as I can."

Castle considers the few arguments he has had with his daughter. Most of them had happened because one of them had hidden something from the other. The truth always came out somehow, and neither of them ever wanted the fights that followed.

"Being honest can be difficult," he admits. "Sometimes, you think you're justified in keeping secrets, because you are just a concerned parent. And, as a parent, you just want to protect your little girl."

His face darkens as he recalls the worst days of his life. Alexis, his daughter, his little girl, abducted. He couldn't know when or if he would see her again. If she was even still alive. All that blood, all that waiting. It drove him insane.

His usual optimism failed him.

It had been Kate then who became his pillar of strength. She offered all the love, all the support, all the resources she had – and it hadn't been enough. No effort would have ever been great enough to bring his daughter back into his arms.

He may have thought that going on a solo mission was the best way to assure he could find his daughter again. And it hadn't been until after he had her back safely that he realized how much Kate had done.

"You know, your mom loves Alexis too. There are times where she can talk to her better than I ever could. Girl talk, I guess," he scoffs. "And suddenly, dad's not good enough," he says with a frustrated sigh he doesn't mean.

"Will you do that to me?" he questions, eyebrows raised. "I promise that you can talk to me about anything. We'll do it when we have our father and son time - I'm afraid I can't really take you fishing or take you to baseball games, I don't have the skills... but I'll come up with something even better. Or you'll be daddy's little girl like Alexis was before I blinked and saw an adult standing before me. She'll always be my little girl though, and maybe you will too. But if you'd rather go to Kate…" he trails off.

Rick giggles to himself. In reality, he is glad that Alexis and Kate have managed to bond. There were days where he wished that Alexis would come to him with everything – but now, he is just grateful that she has someone she feels comfortable enough to share certain things with, even if that person isn't him.

"Anyway, your big sister. She will love you so much. She has a lot of love in her heart, for a lot of people… and things. One time, she got really upset about an egg she was supposed to babysit." He shakes his head.

"She also let a few boys into her heart. I'm not so sure how I feel about that," he states, wrinkling his nose. "The first two were okay. Never met the most recent one. And then, there was this one guy… I really hope _you_ won't put me through something like that when you're old enough to date," he says, remembering his frustration with Pi, not to mention his frustration with his own daughter when she refused to see the relationship from his point of view.

"I'm biased though," he concedes. "I'm her father. From a father's point of view, no one will ever be good enough for your own child. But I trust her. She will find that person that'll be there for her no matter what."

Rick is unable to stop the smile spreading across his face. "After all, it took me some time, but even I managed to find the right one. And it was so worth it."

He feels Kate move beneath his touch, can tell that she is close to waking up again.

"So worth it," he repeats in a whisper.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** _Wow! Thank you for the favorites and more than 100 follows, I can't really believe you all want to read this story! I try to thank everyone for their review personally, but for the guest reviews I couldn't respond to, here's your personal thank you. You have no idea how much every comment means to me. Without further ado, chapter 4. I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

 **Month 4**

This time, it is not that he isn't feeling tired. No, but he is bursting with news and thus impatiently waits until Kate has fallen into a deep slumber.

What a day.

Everything still feels like a dream. A wonderful, fantastic dream he never wants to wake up from. But this is reality, he realizes, and if this is reality, he does not need dreams.

Castle slowly leans over, checking for Kate's steady breathing. If she is asleep, he is free to talk. And, oh, does he want to talk. He has been doing nothing but constantly talk all day, but he isn't growing tired of it. He will happily repeat the tale over and over and over again if it is asked of him. Hell, he will even repeat it to people in his life who have already heard.

"We heard you will be our little girl today," he bursts out, foregoing his usual greeting.

"Not all parents want to know in advance, but… it's us. Kate and I, we're always solving mysteries together. And this was one we definitely wanted to figure out."

Part of him liked the idea of not knowing whether they would have a son or daughter; that writer part of him that loved waiting until the last possible moment to make the big reveal for the biggest effect. But the other part, the part that eventually won, knew that he could hardly handle the knowledge that he was going to have another child – with even more suspense building up for another few months, he would probably explode.

Kate simply stated that she hated not knowing things.

And thus, the decision was made.

* * *

"We waited for quite some time to find out," he informs his future child. "At first, it was kind of hard to tell. You moved around way too much... You're already a fighter."

The pride is audible in his whisper.

"I'm sure you get that kind of energy from Kate. If I'd be in a dark, warm space, I'd just sleep like a rock all the time and not move at all."

Rick finds it hard to hold back a laugh when he thinks back to all the times Kate has urged him to wake up in the morning.

She is usually awake before him, usually lets him sleep for a little while longer if he has nowhere to be that day. On days where he wants to tag along, however, her alarm often goes off far too early for his liking. Which then results in her gently nudging him awake, earning her an ungrateful grunt.

"I'm telling you, if you're an early riser, she's responsible for taking care of you."

That's a lie, and he is aware of it even as he says the words. He already knows he will get up for his little girl at whatever time he needs to, early morning or late night.

"Personally, I would love it if I could call you something other than 'little one' or 'squirt'," he sighs. "I guess now Kate and I can start arguing about your future name… but so far, your mom hasn't been too keen on any of my suggestions. Fortunately, we still have plenty of time left to decide."

* * *

He took a big breath the second they step outside the doctor's office.

"No," she stopped him before he could even explain.

"No what?" he asked innocently.

"I'm not sure yet. But I know that look on your face, and whatever suggestion you're about to make, I'm almost sure I won't like it," she shot him down.

"That's not fair," he sulked. "You can't just dismiss my ideas before I've even voiced them."

She took his hand as they made their way down the street, intending to grab some lunch before heading back to the precinct.

"I'm sorry," she sighed. "What is it?"

Rick beams at her. "Cosmo," he stated.

He was forced to stop in the middle of the sidewalk, because their hands were still laced together, and she suddenly stopped walking.

"Castle, no."

"Come on!"

She looked around them then, checking if anyone could be close enough to hear. She still lowered her voice just in case.

"We are not naming our daughter Cosmo!" she hissed. "That's not even a girl's name."

"I know, I know," he rushed to respond. "We could make it one though. We don't always play by the rules anyway," he tried to reason, already seeing that this was a discussion he would definitely not win.

She picked up her pace again and pulled him with her.

"We are not naming our daughter Cosmo," she stated again, in a way that left no room for argument.

"So what are we naming her?" he asked, mimicking her quiet voice and paying attention to anyone passing them. Too often had a nosy reporter snuck up on him who ultimately published a nice juicy story out of whatever events he may have witnessed Castle be a part of. He'd like to avoid that this time.

She shrugged. "I don't know. But there's still time."

Kate smiled up at him then, and he nodded. Still time. They still had so much time left. Months until giving their daughter a name was necessary, and a lifetime to call her by it.

* * *

"I hope you're not impatient, it might take us a while until we figure it out," he confesses.

"I hope you will also listen to me when you're out of there, instead of continually ignoring what I ask of you like you're doing right now. You still give your mom trouble. And Kate Beckett does not like being out of breath or feeling dizzy."

So far, Kate has stubbornly insisted on taking the stairs if she didn't need to go too high up. She wasn't exercising quite as much anymore, and saw this as a simple way of somewhat staying in shape.

But now, she breathes heavily after climbing just one flight of stairs before reluctantly taking the elevator for the rest.

"Kate already has enough on her hands with me. I'm kind of the child of the family. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure how I feel about you taking that away from me," he chuckles.

His eyes catch the sight of one of a strand of Kate's hair that has fallen on his side. He gently twirls it between his fingers while he continues speaking.

"She already loves you though, so I'm sure she'll forgive you. Actually, I'm sure she has already forgiven you.

"Kate Beckett may not seem like the forgiving type, but she has actually let me get away with quite a lot."

He cannot even begin to remember how many times she told him to stay behind when Castle first started shadowing her and did nothing but ignore her continuous requests and warnings. How many times he hadn't shut up when he was supposed to, unable to hide his curiosity when interrogating suspects and questioning relatives.

He sighs. How many times he intentionally got involved in her personal life, despite her warnings to leave it alone.

Eventually, they were successful. They brought the person that orchestrated her mother's murder and whoever was related to it to justice. But his heart still aches thinking of the price they both had to pay to get there.

"She is fiercely protective of those she loves. Fortunately, I am one of them. And so are you."

His heart swells as he remembers all the times that Beckett did everything in her power to help him from the first time they worked a case together. How she rushed to him when he was with Tyson and his mother suspected something was wrong. How she scouted the world for any sign of him when he disappeared on their wedding day. How she left him, because she thought it could save his life.

Castle grimaces. They have both hurt the other so often, trying and failing to do what was best.

They are moving on now. They are still fighting the demons of the past, but they can handle the past with a future so bright and promising.

A future so bright, it caused their faces to light up.

It was only a matter of time until the first person was bound to notice, he thinks as his mind flashes back to the events that took place mere hours ago.

* * *

It was early evening when they finished work at the precinct and made their way home. Everything had been uneventful, or maybe everything just failed to measure up to their visit to the doctor.

They were giggling when they entered through the door and stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the company that expected them.

Martha, Alexis, and Jim were all sitting in the living room, and had turned towards the front door upon hearing Kate and Rick return.

"Dad?" Kate exclaimed and hurried to greet her father with a hug. "What are you doing here?"

She sounded so concerned. An unexpected visit from her dad was rare. Actually, it had never happened until today. He would always call first, always made sure she had a few minutes to spare. He wouldn't show up unannounced unless… unless something bad had happened.

"Are you alright? Is everything okay?" she pushed, urgency in her voice.

Her questions are met with stunned looks from everyone but Castle, who had come to a conclusion similar to Kate's. And then Martha laughed.

"Darling, everything is fantastic," she assured her, got up and put a hand on her arm to pull her over to the table. "We agreed to meet for dinner tonight, remember?"

Martha gestured to the table she set up. It was already decked with plates and cutlery. It was only now that they noticed the obvious smell of food coming from the kitchen. Martha rushed over, making sure that nothing would burn.

"Oh," is all Kate managed to get out.

Jim chuckled and Alexis crossed her arms, a knowing smirk visible on her face.

"I'm used to Dad forgetting things like this, but you?" she teased.

Kate responded with a nervous laugh. Instead of trying to justify her memory loss, she walked back to the entrance to shed her coat, hoping everyone would just drop the subject. Her mind had been occupied by other things as of recent, but she wasn't sure how she could explain that to the family. Castle was still standing midway between the door and the couch, apparently just as startled as she felt. They were really being too obvious.

"Guess our minds were elsewhere," she tried, and when no one questioned her further, she relaxed.

Until they sat down and started with dinner.

Martha's cooking had always been… creative, as Castle once described it. But loads of it, no matter how unusual the flavors, was edible, and some of it even tasted surprisingly good.

Under normal circumstances, Kate would have just filled her plate with a little bit of everything. With any luck, some of it would have been enjoyable, while she would refrain from taking a second serving of everything that wasn't. It's a system that worked well in the past.

Under normal circumstances, her stomach would not have turned the second the steaming pots were placed in front of her, and the smell practically attacked her. She fought hard to hold back a gag.

When she couldn't stand it anymore, the turmoil in her stomach getting worse, she was forced to excuse herself and rush to the bathroom.

All eyes in the room looked at Castle, who found himself lost for words. His mouth opened and closed, trying to offer a simple explanation that would make everyone turn their attention back to their meal.

There wasn't one.

Silence hung uncomfortably between them until Kate returned. She wanted to come up with an excuse while she was away, but nothing had sprung to mind. And frankly, she was tired of trying to hide the truth. Why would she want to hide something so wonderful from her family anyway. They ran out of reasons long ago. And now that they knew about their child, their daughter, and her bump became more and more noticeable anyway, she was itching to let the secret out.

She looked at Rick, who nodded and took her hand to offer silent support. She queezed it gratefully, not knowing why she was suddenly so nervous.

"I'm pregnant," she blurted out.

And all of a sudden, the silence was broken. Loud noise erupted from calls of 'congratulations' and 'I'm so happy for you' and 'we figured.'

"Wait, you knew?" Castle asked his daughter.

She tilted her head sideways, shaking her head slightly in disbelief.

"You don't have to be a detective to figure it out," Alexis laughed. "You guys giggling and smiling like you're teenagers again, lots of whispering that stopped the second someone was in the same room…"

"We thought it was just the tension from last year finally disappearing," Martha jumped in. "But if you want to keep a secret, your performance needs to be more convincing, kiddo."

"When all the excitement didn't subside, I figured there was something else to it," Alexis continued. "But I wasn't sure what. And then I noticed that I don't think we've ever had a never-ending supply of pickles. You don't even like them _that_ much, Dad. Neither do you," she stated, focusing on Kate. "Plus, I don't think you have ever worn so many flowy tops... They're pretty," she was quick to assure, "but the amount you own has multiplied."

Castle laughed out loud. "I knew there was a reason you're so good at running my P.I. business," he told her with pride.

Kate had remained quiet, overwhelmed, her gaze searching that of her dad. When it found her, they both noticed the tears welling up in each other's eyes.

They both got up, and Jim rounded the table to take his daughter into his arms.

"Congratulations," he whispered into her hair.

Kate silently sobbed as relief, happiness, and grief all washed over her at once. Jim held her for a while before he spoke again.

"She is happy for you. Katie, she loves you so much. Wherever she is, she is watching you, and she will always be with you."

"I wish she could be here," she managed to get out.

Jim just held her tighter, no words sufficient to express what he wanted to say. But she understood. They both shared a loss, a loss that had had a devastating effect on both of them. And while he couldn't change the past, he'd be here for her now. It wasn't enough to fill the hole her mom had left in her life, the hole that could never be filled, but it was enough.

It took a while, but she eventually stopped crying and beamed up at her dad with tear-stained cheeks.

"You're going to be a great mother," Jim murmured.

"You really will be, Katherine," Martha affirmed with a gentle smile, interrupting the silence that had fallen while the two had their moment of shared mourning.

The rest of the evening was joyful as Rick and Kate gushed about the past few months. Martha pulled out a bottle of champagne and poured everyone but Kate a glass, instead doubling the amount in Castle's ("you always drink for two anyway").

It was a wonderful evening that made him realize how much he had longed to speak about their child.

* * *

"I guess that means we will tell the others soon."

"Our little girl," he whispers to himself.

He thinks he's been on some sort of high the entire day, and as the energy slowly leaves him and the alcohol still in his bloodstream takes its effect, he is slowly lulled into sleep, but not before whispering 'I love you.'

To Kate.

And to his youngest daughter.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** _I know I sound like a broken record, but thank you so much for any kind of feedback you guys provide. It always brings a smile to my face, so keep going :P I can't believe we're already on chapter 5. Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

 **Month 5**

It's a Sunday morning, and the first sunbeams are coming through their bedroom windows.

He blinks a few times, disoriented at first, before he slowly takes in his surroundings and begins to wake up properly. Once he stops squinting, he turns his head towards Kate, noticing with an amused smile that his wife is still asleep.

It happens so rarely, her work forcing her out of bed in the early hours of the morning most days – and if it isn't work she has to get up for, it's her natural sleeping pattern that wakes her before him.

But she has the day off, and so it seems that the combination of all the exhaustion Kate is now constantly bothered with, and the miraculous coincidence that she isn't woken up by either her alarm or their daughter, have enabled her to sleep in properly. For once.

Castle knows she won't sleep for much longer though. An hour, two at most perhaps. Still enough time for him to lay back and enjoy the warmth of his bed and the comfort of her presence beside him for a little bit longer, before he will get up and make them their breakfast.

A gesture he doesn't have to make, she has assured him several times, but he enjoys the smile and content hum he always receives in thanks too much to stop.

He doesn't want to risk falling asleep again, can already feel his eyelids getting heavy, and so he starts talking, his voice still raspy from sleep.

"Good morning, squirt." He pauses. "It's pretty obvious that we haven't picked a name yet. Don't worry though. We will have to eventually."

Neither of them has brought the subject up again since his first attempt. Both Kate and Rick toyed with several ideas in their heads. None of them, however, seemed adequate; none of them encompassed the significance the little girl held for them; none fit their story, and dammit, as a writer, he wants their daughter's name to hold meaning.

He'll be sure to address it again when he actually has a proper suggestion. Castle knows that there is no use in tossing around ideas just yet. It would probably just end up with him browsing the internet, clicking through pages and pages of names that are only likely to catch his attention for their absurd spelling.

No, things that were special to them are unlikely to be found on some list on the internet. He has learned that from trying to find 'their' song. No list could do that for them. It required a case linked with supernatural abilities (yes, he is still holding on to that belief) and a dance at a high school prom with his fiancée for them to figure that one out.

In some way, even their song has a special story that is unique to them, and he loves that. So if waiting and solving weird cases with his wife is what it takes to find a fitting name for their daughter, he is willing to be patient.

"I don't think I could have found a more fitting name for Alexis. It means 'to help' or 'to defend'," he informs his unnamed child. "She is actually going to go to law school soon, so she really lives up to her name."

Alexis finally found her path in life, and he couldn't be more pleased. He has never had doubts that his daughter would do anything short of amazing, but he still sympathized with the troubled expression crossing her face every time the subject of her future came up. He had always tried to be there, to provide advice that would guide her, but this had been a decision that he couldn't make for her.

"But even before that – she has always been very protective of her grandmother and me. She worries about us. In that respect, she actually really resembles your mother," he remarks. "They both will do everything they can to help those they care about."

Castle has seen his daughter's compassion on several occasions. Worried about her dad, who willingly put himself in danger as he investigated murders, but realizing that it was good for both him and his writing. Worried about her grandmother, who she wanted to see succeed in life after losing all her wealth, and yet wasn't ready to let go once his mother actually considered moving out. Worried about Hayley – who had become the slightly reckless bigger sister Alexis never had – that time she was being framed for a murder she didn't commit. Alexis sacrificed her own wishes plenty of times to allow those she loved to pursue what was best for them.

"Your sister is pretty incredible; I hope you know that. Since we told her about you, she has done whatever she can in her free time to help Kate. She already bought a few onesies for you."

They put them in a dresser in a spare room for now, one that would soon be turned into a nursery.

"She also went shopping with Kate to get her some new outfits – I guess, in a few instances, you can see that she is Meredith's daughter as well. Speaking of outfits though," he moves on, "your mom is always stunning, but there's only so much nice fashion and flowy tops can hide. I am happy to report that you are no longer a secret. Everybody knows."

* * *

It hadn't been a choice made only due to fashion complications and the impossibility to deny that Kate's body was changing, but after their family knew, it only felt right to inform the others as well.

Kate actually visited Lanie at the morgue to tell her. She didn't want to tell her the news on the phone, but their busy schedules kept them from meeting in their private time. And so, when a chance presented itself, she dropped by and waited until her best friend had finished recounting all her findings about their most recent victim to pull her to the side.

"Lanie, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Looks to me like you're doing just that," Lanie responded with a quirk of her eyebrow. "Okay, what's on your mind?"

"Listen, I'm sorry I didn't tell you this sooner, but we wanted to keep it between us at first, and then we got used to it, and then…" She rushed through the explanations, wanting Lanie to understand why she hadn't already talked to her. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath, gatherin her courage. "I'm pregnant."

Her voice had been hushed, an attempt to keep their private conversation as private as possible while other people worked around them. Any attempt at privacy, however, was ruined by Lanie's excited squeal.

"Finally!" she exclaimed, surging forward to hug Kate. "I thought you'd never say. How far along are you?"

Kate smiled. "You knew, huh?"

"Honey, everybody knew. There's a pool going on when you'd say, and one on when the baby's due. So… when is it due?"

Kate paused for a moment, stunned that bets were placed on her and Castle's relationship once more. "Um… I'm a little over four months pregnant. You do the math."

Lanie cursed under her breath, earning a confused look in response. "I said you were further along," she explained. "What?" she defended herself with an eye roll when Kate narrowed her eyes at her.

"Betting on my pregnancy, really?"

"Wouldn't mind a little extra cash on the side," Lanie said with a wink. "Congratulations, honey," she added with sincerity in her voice. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you," Kate smiled.

She eventually turned to leave, her other obligations calling her back to the precinct, but Lanie tugged her back. "You really pull off that glow." Her friend smirked and let her go, but not before hugging her again, promises to catch up as soon as possible made by both women.

Kate called Castle on her way back to the precinct, updated him on the conversation she just had with Lanie, and asked him if he could meet her at the station so that they could tell Esposito and Ryan together.

They arrived almost at the same time. Her eyes scanned the bullpen.

"Ryan? Espo? Come to my office for a sec," she called.

"What's up, boss?" Esposito asked once the four of them are in her office and the door is closed.

Castle took over the talking this time. "Guys, there's something we want you to know. Sorry for keeping this from you for so long-"

"Yeah, yeah, Beckett's pregnant, right?" Ryan interrupted, pointing at Kate.

"I- uh, she- yes," he stammered, taken aback by the straightforward question asked by the otherwise more tactful detective.

Ryan's face split into a wide grin. "Congratulations!"

"How far along are you?" questioned Esposito eagerly, and Kate rolled her eyes.

"You in on the bet too?"

"There's a bet?" Rick asked.

The detectives took to admiring the floor instead of facing either of them. They actually looked like two children being caught doing something they weren't supposed to.

"I mean… yeah… you were acting all weird and stuff, so we thought we'd investigate, make sure you're okay," Espo tried to explain.

"We're detectives, and so we observed. It didn't take much, plus you're speaking to a dad yourself," Ryan jumped in, puffing out his chest a little towards the end.

"Can't blame us for wanting to make things a little more exciting, right?" Esposito tried to joke, but Kate heard the genuine worry that he upset her.

"Guys, it's fine," she chuckled, pleased to see the duo sigh in relief.

"We're happy for you," Ryan said. "You're going to be a great mom, Beckett." Esposito nodded in agreement.

"Thank you," Kate murmured. "Now," she started, stepping back into Captain-mode, "I need you to double check all the information we got from our suspect yesterday, especially his alibi. I'm getting pressure to find the killer, and something about his whole story was off. Report back to me in two hours. Go!" she commanded.

As the two were halfway through the door, Esposito hung back slightly. "You didn't tell us how long…"

"GO," Beckett repeated with urgency, shewing them out of her office completely.

"I'm really curious to see who won the bet," Castle admitted once the door shut.

* * *

"Once the three knew, there was only one other person to tell," he tells his daughter after recounting the other reveals to her. "Her name's Hayley Shipton. She's helped me a lot, particularly when I've made a mess of things at the P.I. office. And she's a good friend to Alexis. She's happy too, though she's got her own way of showing it."

He quietly laughs to himself. She'd congratulated them, but after that, she'd returned to her usual ways of displaying her affection through sarcastic comments and teasing. Castle has noticed a change though.

She voluntarily started taking over more of his work to allow him to be with Kate, while she practically ran the whole business. She still utters snarky comments about his qualities as a dad on a regular basis, but puts reassurance in them too.

("I suppose Alexis turned out okay, though I'm not quite sure how that happened.")

"She will be your badass aunt of sorts, I suppose. Actually, you'll be surrounded by all sorts of amazing people. They already care about you, every single one of them does. Ryan actually keeps giving me parenting advice… I may need to remind him that I've done this all before - and I did a pretty good job with that one all by myself," Castle says with a smile on his lips.

He may have done it all before, but he is still incredibly grateful to have someone like him as a friend.

Rick rolls onto his side and looks to where Kate's stomach is covered by their blanket.

"I don't think I've ever seen something quite as adorable as Kate with her baby bump. You're growing in there, and I can see it now." He smiles. "Being pregnant suits her. Everything does, but I love this look in particular. I'm biased again, of course," he admits.

He can see Kate waking up, her eyelids fluttering. So he stops talking, leans over to kiss her on the forehead, and then moves from the bed into the kitchen to brew their coffees and make pancakes.

* * *

They thoroughly enjoy their lazy Sunday together, play board games with Alexis first, then take a stroll through the park, and end the day by ordering pizza (where she asks for a combination of toppings that almost make him gag) and watching a movie. It's a perfect day of rest, and both of them go to bed with a smile.

She falls asleep almost immediately, while he reflects on everything that happened the past couple of weeks.

Sometimes, it still feels like a dream. Kate is halfway through her pregnancy now, and it still feels surreal, like she just told him yesterday. He is torn between wanting this moment to last forever – to revel in the excitement he constantly feels and the anticipation that makes him grin like an idiot all the time – and wanting the power to speed time up so that he can meet the newest addition to his family as soon as possible.

Castle looks over at his sleeping wife. Waiting isn't so bad if he's waiting with her, he supposes.

"Oh, by the way," he murmurs right before falling asleep. "Ryan won the bet on how long you've been around. LT guessed correctly when it came to the time of the official reveal."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** _Again (cause I don't grow tired of saying this & I hope you don't mind reading it 50 million times), thank you so much for any favorite/follow/review; especially to guest reviewers I couldn't thank in person. Your encouragement in any form of feedback amazes me and always brings a smile to my face._

* * *

 **Month 6**

She watches as his fingers fly over the keyboard. He hasn't left his office all day, spent all hours he could in front of his computer and hasn't even noticed his wife watching him from the door frame.

* * *

Kate gladly left him there earlier this morning, only called him around lunch time to make sure that he hadn't forgotten to eat.

He had taken care of her so often when she was at work, even before they started dating, long before they got married. She seized every opportunity she could to return the favor.

It took a while, but Kate managed to convince him that he didn't need to work cases every single day, that the boys could handle things by themselves every once in a while. The extra amount of effort he made really took its toll on him, the exhaustion visible in his every move, and she finally put her foot down when she caught him almost falling over while making dinner.

"I'm fine," he attempted to defend himself.

"You're not fine!" she exclaimed. " _This_ ," she gestured at him, "is not fine. Look at you. You're exhausted. Your hardly sleep these days trying to be everywhere and do everything at once."

"I'm only trying to help!"

Kate made her way over to him, gently took his face into her hands, their eyes interlocking.

"Babe, I know you are. You _are_ helping. But isn't it enough if one of us is tired all the time? I don't need you to work so hard until you cannot physically stand anymore. You can't take care of everything all the time. Working at the precinct can wait."

Castle dropped his gaze. "But I like working at the precinct," he sulked.

"I know. If it makes you feel any better, I can talk to Ryan and Espo and let them know to call you if there's a weird one. Deal?"

He caved in, knowing by the way Kate looked at him that discussing this any further would lead nowhere. And, if he was being honest, he had to admit that she was right. "Deal," he murmured.

From that day on, he hadn't accompanied her to the precinct every day. Instead, he only dropped by some days to bring her lunch, check up on her, and spend some time with his wife and daughter, who are currently a package deal.

Castle used the rest of his time to work on his next novel, and Kate was thrilled to see that he no longer squeezed his writing in between interrogating subjects and other meetings. And despite his initial protest, she could tell that he missed dedicating his time to his writing.

He loved working cases too, of course, but this gave him a chance to unwind and process events in his own way.

* * *

Rick hasn't heard her return, too absorbed in the little world he entered whenever he was writing.

She already stood at the office door for a while, never growing tired of the sight of him so concentrated and focused on his work. But her pregnant body has other ideas, and so instead of prolonging her standing, she moves back towards the living room to sit down.

"We'll give him some more time alone, huh," she whispers towards her growing bump.

Part of her freaked out when she first thought of the change her body would go through during pregnancy. Part of her couldn't help but wonder if she'd become self-conscious once any evidence of her pregnancy marked her skin and pushed her stomach outwards. But now, she loves the sight of her belly slowly expanding. It means their baby, their daughter, is there and growing.

Kate gently traces a finger across the skin at her stomach, smiling when she feels a now all too familiar kick. It's almost like she is responding, Kate thinks.

She busies herself preparing dinner soon after, carefully cutting everything up and beginning the cooking process.

Roused from the noise and smell, Castle eventually emerges from his office. He stops when he is behind her, and carefully wraps his arms around her without hindering the movement of her arms as she continues making their meal.

"Hey," he says and places a kiss on her cheek. "You're back."

She hums in response. "Finished early. Couldn't wait to be home, too much paperwork," she explains.

Castle nods in understanding. He still likes to rub it in her face that he, as a cop helper, is freed from the irritating responsibility of filling out annoying forms and providing detailed reports after all the action was over.

"How are you?" he asks.

It's a genuine question, his concern for her and her well-being always present, even if she has hardly left her desk that day.

"I'm fine, Rick," she smiles. "I'm getting kicked a lot though. I don't think I've been kicked this much outside of my usual training sessions," she jokes. "She's quiet now, though."

Rick's hand which has been moving towards her bump dropped, disappointment visible in his features. "Not fair," he grumbles. "I've never felt her kick before."

"You will. She'll be around for a few more months," Kate assures him as she fills their plates, twists out of his embrace and pushes him towards the table.

Alexis quickly drops by but leaves quickly to catch up with a friend that night, so they spend their quiet evening home alone doing nothing but cuddling on the couch and enjoying each other's company.

Rick swoops her up and carries her to bed once her eyelids fall closed without her control, and she manages to murmur a quiet 'thank you' before drifting to sleep.

He is unable to quiet his mind, his thoughts still racing. He wrote so much today, hardly stopping at all unless absolutely necessary. A call from Kate came through around 1 p.m., his personal reminder not to forget to eat as he so often did when he was full immersed in his work. He promised her he would take a brief break, but he hung up, and another idea struck him… Castle just had to write it down before it escaped him again, and, well, lunchtime had come and gone with him still glued to his office chair, her phone call long forgotten about.

He is done writing for the day, but his head is still brimming with other ideas. They would be there tomorrow too, and so Rick decides that he should find something else to focus on. _Someone_ else.

"I hope I'm not bothering you at this late hour," he says casually. "I needed someone to distract me, and one someone who could have done this is at a friend's house tonight, probably won't be back for a while, and another someone is currently asleep next to me. And I really can't wake her up for this. She already has her hands full with you."

He sticks out his tongue towards the stomach – and then stops when he realizes that his daughter isn't able to see the teasing gesture.

"I hear you've been bothering her again. She says you've started to kick her a lot recently."

Kate might have said that it startled her sometimes, that it made it hard for her to rest, since the movements were unexpected and startled her every time. And yet, Castle could tell that she didn't really mind.

He has seen her sit on the couch, or even at her desk at the precinct, gazing down at her bump lovingly and absentmindedly stroking her fingers over it whenever she felt any movement. It may be uncomfortable for her sometimes, but to her it was also a sign that their daughter was really there and doing well. And that was comfort.

"I feel like I'm being left out though," he pouts. "She says you move around so much, but then I want to feel it, and you just stop. Personally, I am offended."

Rick looks to his side, barely able to make out the outlines of Kate's face in the darkness of their bedroom.

"Apparently, you leave her alone at night though. That's good. She deserves to rest. She's actually been doing that a lot more. Actually, I think it's what both of us needed."

* * *

Kate may have convinced him not to come into the precinct as often as he used to, but not before he made sure that she wasn't overworking herself either.

"Castle, I promise you, the boys are already taking care of that," she chuckled when he brought it up. "I actually had to tell them to tone it down. After all, I'm pregnant, not injured."

Esposito and Ryan had worked way more than usual over the past weeks without complaining, making sure that they only came to their Captain with important matters that couldn't be handled by anyone else, and bringing her updates as regularly as possible before she could even ask for them, just in case she received a call from one of her bosses demanding where they stood in an investigation.

"She avoids field trips now. We could all agree that her being tackled to the ground or punched in the gut may not be in your best interest - or hers, for that matter.

"So now, your mom's working mostly from her desk. Thank goodness. I can worry a little less. Though I never really stop," he admits.

"I worry about the people I love. I worried about my mother when she was ripped off by her ex-husband and she had nowhere else to go," he murmurs.

He frowns. It isn't one of his favorite memories. His mother, his obnoxious, confident, proud mother approaching him and asking for his help. Her plea had almost broken his heart. Martha Rodgers wouldn't have come to him for help unless it was utterly necessary, and it showed him how lost she truly was, although she never admitted it to him or anyone else.

She took it with grace, of course, as she always had and always will, but the devastation of being left with essentially nothing still knocked the wind out of her sails temporarily.

It had hurt him to see his mother come to him and nonchalantly request that she'd be moved into one of his spare rooms. She hid her insecurities behind a façade of lightheartedness, almost managing to convince him that she really "just wanted more time to spend with her son," and "look out for him, since his slightly reckless behavior was cause for concern."

Over the years, he may have made a lot of snide remarks about her staying with him, but he was still glad he could repay her for everything she'd done for him. Sure, her presence and extravagant behavior had annoyed him at times, plenty of times actually, but at the same time, he was grateful for all the moments in which her carefree attitude and unsolicited advice could distract him and brighten his days.

"Your grandmother is a handful sometimes, but she loves deeply. And she definitely knows how to enjoy life," he snickers. "I get that from her. I can't tell you a lot of stories from my teenage years… and adult years, actually. I think when Alexis gets her first grey hair, it'll be because of me. She worries too much for someone her age sometimes. I can be quite carefree, but I worry about her too much as well. I guess it's a family thing."

His mind flashes back to all the times he fussed over Alexis over the smallest things.

When she got her first cold, he could hardly go to sleep because he feared he wouldn't wake up when she needed him. When he took her to kindergarten, he was scared that she'd be lost without him or that the other kids would be mean to her. She grew up in New York City, and Castle knew how dangerous that could be, so he followed her the first few times she went out by herself – until she caught him and presented him with a long speech on trust, independence, and responsibility he was sure she'd practiced more than once.

He worried about her when he saw her wrinkle her forehead as she sat hunched over homework or a special project, afraid that she was working too hard, that his little girl was putting too much pressure on herself to be good at everything.

The worry he felt when it came to his daughter never really stopped; it was still present, even now. Alexis had proven that she could handle whatever life threw her way, but he still finds himself wishing that she didn't have to.

"I hope you'll forgive me if I'm being too protective of you," Rick whispers. "Seeing my daughter grow up makes me so proud of who she's become, but it also terrifies me. I may have learned from my experience of raising her, but please be patient with me nonetheless. I might still be overly watchful."

He sighs. "And Kate. Boy, do I worry about her. In my defense, she faces murderers all the time. That's a pretty good reason to be concerned, right?" He almost laughs when he notices that he paused for a response.

"She can take care of herself, but I'd rather be right there with her. And I am, as often as I can. I protect her, she protects me. It's a pretty sweet deal."

He yawns, suddenly feeling the lack of energy after he poured all of it into his writing.

"And I promise, I'll always be there to protect you too," he manages to mumble as his eyelids become too heavy for him to hold open.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** _Have I mentioned that I'm really thankful for your reviews/favorites/follows? Cause I am. Just thought I'd throw that out there (again). So thank you, thank you, thank you if you take the time to do any of that stuff, or even for just taking the time to read this._

* * *

 **Month 7**

Usually, she is always the first to wake up, but that also means that she is usually the first one to drift to sleep. Rick's sleep schedule is way more messed up naturally, especially since he cut back the hours he works at the precinct.

Since he lacks the structure provided to him by a steady job, he has the liberty to get up and go to sleep when he feels like it. He still tries to join Kate every time she hits the hay, but sometimes he is still occupied and typing furiously late at night or until he sees the first sunbeams peaking through the window, his next novel gaining in length and complexity.

But tonight, he can tell that it is her who is restless. She kept tossing and turning, grumbling and sighing in frustration every few minutes. Her growing irritation almost made him chuckle. She was just too adorable when she got mad – until she snapped at him for giggling under his breath. So he fought hard to hide his amusement.

Now, her breathing has evened, and he knows she is asleep, but she still twitches and turns randomly which tells him that she may not be fully conscious, but it isn't the kind of deep, relaxing sleep she needs and deserves.

He is almost afraid to speak up, scared that he will wake her up within seconds, but he can't help himself.

"Hey, squirt" he whispers and pauses almost immediately, waiting to see any change in Kate. When she doesn't wake up, he dares to continue.

"You need to be more respectful of your mom." He tries to make his voice sound reproachful, but his attempt falls flat.

His whisper isn't exactly threatening, nor has he ever managed to master the disciplinary dad voice. With Alexis, he hardly ever had a reason to use it - and whenever he tried, it was blatantly obvious that he was uncomfortable with it or that the time to use it had passed and now had no effect whatsoever. Not to mention that Alexis had a tendency to raise her eyebrows and widen her eyes when he raised his voice, making him apologize almost immediately afterwards.

With this child, maybe things would change, he thinks, but almost immediately dismisses the thought. He isn't fooling anyone. His new daughter already has him wrapped around her tiny finger, and he already knows he will be likely to spoil her rotten.

If scolding won't work, maybe reasoning would.

"It took Kate quite some time to fall asleep tonight; you just kept her up for hours."

He remembers how disgruntled he was just a month ago, when their child would kick and kick, but stop the second he laid a hand on Kate's bump. It went on like this for days, until he got lucky and finally managed to feel it.

"Gotcha!" he exclaimed gleefully, but he had tears in his eyes and rolling down his cheeks, and Kate laughed at him as she wiped them away.

From that moment on, it was as though their daughter wanted him to feel her presence constantly. Despite her stopping every time he touched the bump and awaited her kick before, she now continued moving around even more each time he splayed a hand across Kate's stomach.

It was a fun phenomenon for both of them, but Castle at least had the liberty to distance himself and relax whenever he needed to focus on something else.

Kate, however, put up with their baby's moods at any point during the day. And there were days where their daughter seemed to refuse any form of rest.

Like today.

"Please be kind to her," he whispers, wanting their child to understand how important it was. "She has a hard job and a busy life; she doesn't need any more complications, especially not in her family life."

He clenches his jaw, almost not wanting to follow the path his thoughts have strayed to. But he cannot resist, knows that talking his way through things that occupy his mind almost helps him as much as writing does.

"You see, our family is a little incomplete, a little broken at times. It took a while to fix it, but we managed. But there are still times where you notice the missing pieces, and it hurts. But we've always overcome the obstacles."

Ricks sighs and sinks deeper into the mattress. Nothing about how he grew up was normal. Most people didn't go to nearly as many different schools as he had, most people didn't go on tour with their mother, most didn't have Shakespeare read to them at night.

Most people had a father.

* * *

He didn't know that at first. He had his mother, and that was his family. Since he was on the road with her most of the time, he didn't see his grandparents a lot either. They never really approved of Martha's career path anyway, and so they avoided most contact besides exchanging their annual Christmas cards and making brief phone calls for Thanksgiving or birthdays.

It wasn't until he was more frequently surrounded by kids rather than other actors that he realized that the family he grew up with wasn't so common.

When his kindergarten teacher asked around what their parents did for a living, most talked about two individuals, not just one. When it was his turn to speak, he just said 'my mom is an actress' – followed by an awkward long pause during which everyone, in the room eyed him expectedly until his teacher cleared her throat and continued asking the other children.

That day was the first time Castle asked Martha about his father. She dismissed his question with a nonchalant wave of her hand as she handed him his dinner and briefly explained that his father was a very special man that won her heart one night. She moved on to other subjects before he had a chance to ask any further questions.

Father's Day came around, and as he heard his friends discuss what they were gifting their dads, he returned home in the evening and asked his mother what she wanted for her special day.

"What on earth do you mean, Richard?" she said with a quizzical look on her face.

"What do you want for Father's Day?" little Rick clarified.

Martha tilted her head ever-so slightly. "Why would I get a gift for Father's Day? I'm your mother, I already had my day of acknowledgement."

Rick pondered on her comment for a short while before smiling up at her. "Mother, I don't have a father. But I have a mother. My friends' fathers, they take care of them and play with them and make embarrassing comments sometimes – you do that too. You're a good actress, so you play both roles," he decides cheerfully.

"Yes," Marth chuckled. "I am a rather talented actress... I suppose I am perfectly suited for both main parts."

With that, she scuffed his head and returned to memorizing her lines for the newest play she'd be part of.

* * *

His lips curved upwards slightly. "We hardly ever talked about my dad. And for the most part, I don't feel like I missed out on anything. I met him a few times, you know? He is very sneaky. Good at what he does, I suppose."

His voice now has a lsightly bitter edge to it. "But I will never understand how he could choose his work over a family. How he could walk away from my mother, how he didn't ever really show himself, even after knowing he had a son. I could never abandon my family. Being a dad is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me, and I wouldn't give it up for anything."

His attention is drawn to Kate when she flips over, but when he waits and realizes that her breathing is still even, he assumes it is safe to continue.

"Kate… well, I already mentioned she is fiercely protective of those she loves. She is strong for those she loves. I'm amazed at her strength. Life hasn't been easy for her. She has a dad. He is a good man. Kind, loving, caring… but awful things can cause even the best people to make terrible decisions. And your mom took care of him while he healed, even while her own wounds were still wide open."

Castle stares at the ceiling. No one should ever have to go through what Kate went through. Losing a loved one, especially in such an unexpected and particularly gruesome way, is not something anyone should have to experience. But to see your family crumple apart entirely and having no choice but to take on the amount of responsibility she had – he knew it forced her to grow up too fast and pushed her into a hole she barely managed to get herself out of.

Nineteen is an age where you should be worried about passing a class or not, explore the world, concern yourself with who you want to date, he thinks… not come home and carry your father to bed, pour his alcohol down the sink, cry yourself to sleep and repeat the ordeal the next day, week, month, year…

She doesn't like reliving those memories, but her past still haunts her at times. But not everything is terrible. Every once in a while, the two do something that reminds her of her mother. Like passing a park that she used to go to every weekend when she was younger. Playing a game that used to be her mom's favorite on game night. Eating comfort food that her mom used to make for her every time she was sad. In those moments, Kate's eyes light up as she tells him the stories.

He loves listening to her speak about her mother. It is the closest he will ever come to knowing her, and so every detail he learns burns into his memory in an instant, adds to the picture he painted of Johanna Beckett in his head.

"Johanna Beckett stood up for the right people. Tried to bring a little more justice to this world. Just like your mom. The world needs more people like them. My heart aches at the thought that you will be born into a world where terrible things happen to good people. But there are also wonderful things and people here that I can't wait for you to experience."

He quiets for a moment. "One day, I'm sure she will tell you all those stories about her mother herself. I have never been fortunate enough to get to know her personally, but I know she was extraordinary. She must have been in order to have such an incredible daughter. And I'm sure she will pass those genes onto you as well."

Castle smiles for a moment, but it quickly fades as he continues talking.

"I found her crying in your future room a few days ago. I'm not even sure why she went in there, it's not nearly finished yet and we don't keep much there either. But when I found her there, she sat on the ground sobbing. I was so worried."

* * *

"Oh my god Kate, what happened?" he asked as he rushed towards her, taking her into his arms and cradling her against his chest.

She was unable to speak for a while, sobs still shaking her frame, but she eventually regained some of her composure. She took a deep breath to steady herself before she began to speak in a quiet murmur.

"I need my mom," is all she got out before she started crying again.

He has rarely ever felt so helpless. He knows that Kate will always struggle with the loss of her mother, but there are long periods of time that pass where she seems perfectly fine and happy – and she is, but her grief still flares up from time to time. However, she doesn't often display it as openly as she did in that moment, still tries to hide her vulnerability out of reflex a lot of the time.

He just held her closer and waited for her to continue.

"I wish she could experience all this. I wish I could have had her there with us when we told our family. I wish I could call her when my pregnancy symptoms are bothering me, just so that I can hear her laugh and tease me about how that's revenge for how I was never letting _her_ rest while she was pregnant either." Her voice quivered again. "I wish she could meet our daughter and just… be part of this family. But instead of going to brunch with her and just talking for hours on end like we always did, I make trips to the cemetery."

She choked up again as Rick tried and failed to find the right words to say. But it seemed he didn't have to, because Beckett continued almost immediately, and he began to wonder how long she had held all of this in.

"I love being part of this family" she clarified. "I love Martha, and Alexis, and my dad, and you, and our daughter. But no one can replace her, and I just wish she could be part of this."

"I know," he whispered into her hair. "I'm so sorry, Kate."

It was inadequate, the simple words failing to convey what he truly wanted to express, but she understood nonetheless.

* * *

"I guess becoming a mother herself now was just a painful reminder of who she lost. And a painful reminder that she can't share all the joyous moments in her life with her mother. No one can fill that hole, but I will do my very best to be there for her in any way I can be. And I hope that Johanna can see us right now and see how happy her daughter has made me. And how happy you make us."

And with that, he gently presses a kiss to Kate's forehead, still counting his blessings when he goes to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** _I am so sorry you had to wait a bit for this. Fun fact: I just started my semester abroad and they're keeping us on our feet all day, so once bedtime comes around, I just crash. So thank you for your patience. Thanks also (as always) for all your reviews, they mean so much to me. After this, there are two more chapters to come, and 9 is already in the works. Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

 **Month 8**

Castle sneaks into their bedroom as quietly as he can. Kate turned in early, while he spent the past few hours distracting himself with video games, snacking to avoid writing, and actually writing. He hardly noticed the hours passing, but now his eyes are tired, his fingers cramping, and there's a knot in his shoulders he's sure won't disappear until he goes to get a massage.

* * *

The 12th precinct recently dealt with another weird case, one that allowed him to voice all his conspiracy theories and spin the craziest stories. It sparked his imagination, and he just inserted the newest events as an unexpected twist into his newest Nikki Heat. Although his creativity wasn't always appreciated at the station, he knew damn well that at least his readers would value it.

Ryan and Esposito almost lost their patience with him while working the case. Over the past years, they had gotten used to his overactive imagination, but they were only confronted with it in small doses, since Castle had never shadowed them for a longer period of time. The boys hadn't been aware how much more there was to it if they spent the entire day with him, even when canvassing or driving to interview family members or co-workers.

Esposito snapped at him when he was all out of eye rolls. Castle sulked on the entire way back from talking to neighbors, and Ryan tried to break the silence by awkwardly trying to make fun of the situation – which caused both Esposito and Castle to shoot angry glares in his direction. They all stayed quiet for the remainder of the ride back to the precinct.

Beckett immediately sensed the tension between them upon their return and called all of them into her office. The whole scenario looked as though three little boys had been called into the principal's office as Kate eyed them from her desk with a stern look, while the other three pressed their lips together tightly and refused to look at her or each other.

Kate sighed. "Okay, what happened?" No response. She was going to have to get one of them to speak at least. "Castle?" she prompted, hoping that addressing her husband directly would bring him to speak.

It was Esposito who answered instead. "Of course you're gonna ask _him_ ," he grumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Castle, his voice at least two pitches higher.

Esposito turned to face Castle, looking directly into his eyes and taking one step closer. "You're just gonna make it sound like it is all my fault. And she's your wife, so of course she'll believe you."

Castle didn't step away. "It _is_ your fault. I was just helping."

"Helping?! You were making a bunch of stuff up. I'm trying to solve a murder here, and all you do is tell us fairytales and stories that sound like the script for a really bad mystery film!"

"I actually like to think that there were some reasonable aspects to those stories," he defended himself.

"Dude, CIA cover up? Supernatural intervention? Secret military operation? Been there, done that. Are you hoping that it'll eventually be true if you just bring it up often enough?!"

Castle drew a deep breath, ready to explain – once again – why all those were indeed very likely options, even during past cases, but he was interrupted by Kate before he could even start.

"Guys! Calm down, both of you. Now can _anyone_ ," she let her gaze wander across the group, "explain to me what the hell happened?"

Castle and Esposito returned to sulking, and so it was Ryan who spoke up and attempted to explain the situation as well as he good. He actually tried to present both sides fairly, but they were too worked up to see that. Neither of them dared to speak up again though, and so when Ryan finished, an awkward silence fell across the room.

Kate sighed. She knew that dealing with Castle's occasionally insane theories could be frustrating, they had driven her up the wall more times than she could count, but if you filtered through them, they sometimes held helpful suggestions or at least sparked a useful idea in her mind. Of course, she couldn't say that out loud right now, since both parties were bound to be offended. They were already mad at each other, the last thing she needed was for them to be upset with her too.

She absentmindedly stroked her prominent baby bump, looking out the window and trying to figure out what to say next. When she lifted her head to face them again, she saw three sets of eyes focused on her stomach.

"Is everything okay?" Castle asked first.

"Yeah, you seem distracted, and…" Esposito continued.

"Too much stress can't be good for you," Ryan jumped in.

"We shouldn't have bothered you with this," Castle started again.

"It's no big deal, Ryan and I can handle a little crazy."

"Definitely. You don't have to deal with it all by yourself, we're here to help."

"Can I get you anything?"

Kate almost laughed. Interesting, she thought, that a move as simple as placing a hand on her stomach had all three of them double over with concern that they had exposed her to too much stress. It was kind of cute, and probably the fastest she had ever solved a conflict. All the anger was wiped from their faces, nothing but worry that they pushed her too much visible now.

"I'm fine," she assured them, struggling to withhold a chuckle when she saw them all let out a sigh of relief in unison. "Espo, Ryan… go back to work. Work with the information you got from the neighbors, there must be a clue in there somewhere."

"On it, boss," Esposito said, leaving the room with Ryan, all anger from earlier completely forgotten.

Castle hung back, watching her expectedly. "I'm fine, really," she repeated. "Can you do me a favor though?" she asked softly.

He nodded eagerly. "Of course."

"Go home. I know you like this case, and I promise to keep you updated," she rushed to say when she saw him ready to protest. "But Espo needs to calm back down. You can let your imagination run wild and pour it all into your writing. So let the boys do their jobs, and I'll be sure to call you when we need inspiration, okay? Please?" she added, when she realized he still wasn't one hundred percent keen on the idea.

Rick opened his mouth to say something, but decided it was probably for the best if he just did as she asked. So he clenched his jaw and gave her a curt nod.

He returned to the loft in the early afternoon and – after procrastinating for a while – actually did what she suggested. His characters got to enjoy and discover another conspiracy as he made them work furiously to catch those involved. He was so focused, he hardly noticed Kate return. She called him when dinner was ready, and he gratefully interrupted his writing to rest his eyes which had been glued to his laptop screen for hours now.

He spent some more of his evening with her, enjoyed sitting with her on his couch all cuddled up. But she rose way too soon for his liking and announced that she was wired and just ready to catch up on some much needed sleep.

As much as he loved to go to bed at the same time as her, listen to her murmur something incomprehensible to him as she drifted off, it was still way too early for him, and both his mind and fingers were itching to write some more.

The word document containing his newest novel was way more grateful and receptive of his creative mind than the people he'd pestered with them earlier.

* * *

He kissed her goodnight and returned to his office, not noticing the hours passing. It's nearly 3 a.m. when he joins her in their bed. He hasn't talked to a lot of people since he came home, so he has trouble fighting the urge to wake her up and excitedly discuss his new book with her. Or ask her about how the case went so far. Instead, he opts to talk to that one person who has always been a patient listener over the past months. A reliable listener that doesn't interrupt him, lets him sort out his own thoughts, distracts him from the stress of his day, reminds him to count his blessings even when he is in a grumpy mood.

"Hello there. Hope you don't mind me talking to you so late at night again. I promise I won't do that once you're out of there," he chuckles.

"But if your sleep pattern is anything like your mom's, I'm sure you don't even notice me bothering you. Kate is sleeping all the time now, even more than before. She once sat on the couch to read, and I found her there thirty minutes later fast asleep. She falls asleep when we come home from running errands. When she comes home from work. When she comes back from grabbing a water from the fridge. Pretty much all the time." Rick shakes his head in disbelief. Once he made sure that her constant tiredness was just a normal side effect of pregnancy, he stopped worrying that she was overworking herself. After that, he actually found the sight of his wife curled up on the couch at random points in the day quite adorable.

"Your mom doesn't go to work as much as she used to right now. She pulled a few strings, and now she's been able to cut back hours and have someone else step in. It's a relief, really. Knowing that another qualified person is taking care of your job for you. That you're not letting anyone down. And whoever stepped in, they have to be good. Kate wouldn't let them do it otherwise. So that's lucky. I think it's an old colleague of hers, actually. And she'll substitute for your mom when we need to take care of you too."

He smiles. Kate had been really reluctant to have someone else do her job, doubtful that there was currently anyone available with the necessary skills, as well as the compassion and empathy required to be Captain – if only a temporary Captain. Until she shot up one night from a dream, startling Rick, and enthusiastically told him all about an old friend of hers that might fit all the criteria. Despite her own conviction that her friend was entirely capable, she still hesitated, but had to admit that she was currently unable to give her absolute best at all times - which was what the victims, their families, and her own co-workers needed and deserved.

"Took her a long time to reach that point though," he murmured. "She received all the support possible from her surroundings. Ryan and Esposito took care of as much as they could. They were already busy, but once they knew she was pregnant, they took on extra work that would maybe fall more into her job description. I'm really grateful for them, no matter how much we bicker."

Castle sighs as he says it, already knowing that he will make a trip to the precinct tomorrow to apologize to the boys for how things went down today.

"They've always had her back, way before I even knew your mom. I don't think they'll ever know how much I appreciate that. It leaves me a little less worried when I see her go to work alone, because I cannot tag along that day for whatever reason. I know that there will be two great friends waiting for her who will protect her at all costs.

"Ryan is a big softy. Sometimes he gets so excited for us, you'd think he's the parent-to-be. He has two kids, maybe you guys can play together when you're a little older. I'm sure you'll get along great."

Castle smiles at the idea. Kevin and Jenny were so thrilled about Kate's and his baby, they'd already showered them with small gifts, advice, and repeated invitations to bring their daughter over to play if they felt like it.

"Esposito is a bit tougher. He cares a lot; he just doesn't like to show it. He does a pretty good job at hiding it, but one time, I caught him humming a tune that Ryan's daughter had to learn for school… he doesn't know I know, because I fear for what he might do to me if he ever finds out," he giggles quietly. "You'll have him wrapped around your little finger though. He won't be able to resist you. You're gonna have two great uncles to watch out for you.

"And a great aunt. I give Kate all the support I can, and the boys do too, but it's really comforting to know that throughout this journey, she has a friend with medical knowledge. Stops her from googling any symptoms and freaking out over the search results. I can't wait for you to meet her... She works with dead bodies though, so we won't visit her at work. She is gonna have to come to us" he declares.

"I'm growing more impatient by the day by the way," he admits. "I'm so ready to meet you. We all are. I don't know how many times I've said, I lost count at around 34, and that was 2 months ago. First I thought we'd be annoying everyone once the secret was out, and all we seemed to be able to talk about was you. But they cut us a lot of slack. I think it's because they are almost as excited as we are. Alexis gets a little baby sister, Martha another recipient of her life's wisdom, Jim his first grandchild… it almost seems too good to be true.

"But it's real. You're real. And just a few weeks separate us from being to tell you how much we love you face to face."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** _I am so terribly sorry for the wait. Classes started, and I'm still getting the gist of things. After this, all that's left is an epilogue - stay tuned ;) THANK YOU so much for all the reviews, favorites, and follows this story has received. I still can't believe the numbers when I see them._

* * *

 **Month 9**

He's acting like he is the youngest child of the family.

It's Castle who is prancing around Kate when they tour the finished nursery. It turned out even better than they thought. The colors are subtle and match the rest of the ambience of the loft, but a few elements, some touches here and there, have been incorporated that transform it into not just any other room, but their future daughter's room.

Kate mostly just smiles and nods, eyes shining bright, as Rick elaborates on all design choices and specialties of this nursery (he assures her that they purchased the best and highest quality crib there is). She accepts his explanations without protest, not stopping him to mention that she has been as much part of the furnishing process as he has. His enthusiasm is too enticing, his happiness too contagious, and she doesn't want to disturb that in any way. And so she happily listens to him going over details she knows, showing her features of the room she is all too familiar with.

They complete the tour, Castle having done inventory along the way, making sure they haven't forgotten anything – perhaps for the third time this week. They have been over the list so many times these past couple of days, Kate is sure she has it memorized by now.

She is sure they will be good for the next several weeks if not months – an apocalypse could come, and they might not have enough stuff for themselves, but their daughter would be sure to have enough to last her for a long time. And if Castle's piles of stuff he bought over the last months wouldn't suffice, she is convinced that the pile that matches in size and was gifted to them by their friends and family would take care of the rest.

Their daughter isn't even here yet, and already has the best of the best.

* * *

The gift that made her laugh the most was a dark blue onesie that Ryan and Esposito gave them. Matching their bullet proof vests, it had "NYPD" printed in white letters on the front of it and "Writer" on its back. It didn't just get a laugh from Kate, but rather anyone who was present at the baby shower.

It was a fun afternoon two weeks ago, and they had invited a few people from the precinct, a few writer pals, and their family. Everyone spent the majority of it laughing gleefully as they exchanged anecdotes, and everyone – even Esposito, even though he later denied it – shed at least one tear when the gifts were handed over.

It was Martha's fault though. She insisted she be the first to give them her present and, ever the actress, coupled it with a theatric speech about parenthood and how they would be fantastic parents, because they had so much love to give.

She then presented them with a patchwork baby blanket that she had made herself, waving off Castle's joking remarks about her skills with a needle. She revealed that it contained parts of Castle's old one that she kept for years without him knowing, as well as Alexis's… and Kate's own.

Martha had coordinated her plans with Jim, who had almost forgotten that he had never actually had the heart to throw much of Kate's baby stuff out. He was glad that at least part of it would serve a new purpose.

His mother handed it over with a dramatic gesture, and Kate took it, let the fabric run through her fingers. She thoughtfully touched the different patches, giggled when stroking her fingers across pieces that she still feel familiar and remind her of her childhood. When she encountered another patch, she noticed that the fabric seemed to be older, and she could almost picture baby Rick wrapped up in it. The other fabric she detected was clearly of higher quality – of course, Castle had wanted Alexis to be as comfortable as possible from the moment she was welcomed into the world.

Castle wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to him. "That's actually really beautiful, mother," he said, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice.

"It really is," Kate joined in. "Thank you, Martha."

On almost any other day, her theatrical demeanor would have probably coaxed an eye roll from Castle and a slight smile from Beckett. But emotions were running high that day, and so it didn't take long for the first tear to fall.

Martha looked pleased. She tried but only partly succeeded in replying in typical Martha-fashion, making some kind of sarcastic or lighthearted remark that would snap everyone out of the emotionally charged situation, and instead offered one of her rare solemn responses that revealed how much thought went into the gift.

"Well, I thought it would be a brilliant idea – of which I have many, of course. That way, your daughter will always be surrounded by family and those that love and care about her. I don't want any of my grandchildren to ever doubt that."

Naturally, every single person that followed his mother felt the need to add their own heartfelt story (of which there were many, considering how much they'd gone through together) followed by repeated congratulations and hugs that forced Kate to get out the tissues.

Every gift was special in its own way: tied to shared experiences, inside jokes, personal stories… some made the recipients giggle, some prompted them to take another tissue, but they all warmed their hearts.

* * *

Two more weeks, she thinks as she heads back downstairs, Rick trailing close behind. It seems so close and yet so far. Like time is racing and yet almost standing still.

It all seems so final. He is almost done with his new book, already sent the first draft to his publisher and now awaiting notes.

She started maternity leave at the beginning of the month, letting her substitute take over. Her substitute that didn't have randomly swollen feet, the substitute who wasn't tired after climbing a single flight of stairs. A substitute that didn't haul a tiny human being around.

"You're about to be evacuated," she informs her bump just as she finishes descending the stairs and makes her way over to the couch.

Rick chuckles behind her as he catches her words. "Soon, we can talk to her in person."

"Yeah, for a change," Kate says suggestively.

He just quirks an eyebrow at her as he sits down beside her. Rick is aware that she has been talking to their daughter on occasion, but so far, he only witnessed a brief remark here or there like the one he just overheard. But her tone of voice implied that there is something else behind her comment.

He shrugs his shoulders and decides to not pry further; he is probably just reading too much into it anyway.

"I can't wait for her," she says, like they both have so many times already.

Castle gets up to get them both something to drink and misses Kate flinching and clutching her stomach. By the time he turns to her again, she is back to normal and smiles at him, her face not giving anything away.

It happens again later that day while he's in the bathroom, but she keeps quiet about it.

That evening, it doesn't take her long to close her eyes and fall asleep at almost the exact moment her head hits the pillow. Rick struggles to keep his open, but he still takes a moment to admire the outlines of her face, the play of shadow and light on it as her lips curve into a smile in response to a dream he can only imagine – and he is pretty sure he knows exactly what it's about. Right now, it all comes back to them. To _her_. To their daughter.

"Hey there, squirt," he starts before interrupting himself. "Hey, you actually have a name now!"

* * *

When her last month of pregnancy was fast approaching, both decided that pushing the discussion to any later time was a risk. Neither of them wanted to suddenly be in the hospital and not have anything to put down in the space meant for their daughter's name.

Originally, they were going to discuss it over dinner at the loft, away from any potentially nosy spectators. But, as always, things didn't work out exactly as planned.

It had been one of the many trips they made to buy some knickknacks here and there, small things they'd forgotten about earlier. When they left one place and were on their way to the second store, Castle stopped her at a little flower shop. Instructing her to wait for him, he went in and returned with a stunning bouquet that combined a wide range of flowers.

One in particular stood out to her. "Lilies?" she commented carefully.

"Yeah," Castle shrugged his shoulders. "I know they're often used for funerals… but they're some of Alexis's favorites and really just too pretty… I hope you like them too?"

Kate smiled. "We actually bring some to my mom's grave every once in a while." She could see his smile drop, afraid that he brought up a dark memory, so she hurried on. "She actually loved them too. Always mentioned that it was such a shame that they were primarily known for such sad and unfortunate occasions." She acknowledged how Rick relaxed his shoulders, comforted that she seemed fine, and she rushed on before he would try to utter an apology she didn't need to hear. "Didn't know Alexis was a fan of flowers."

"Well," he started, his voice an octave higher than usual, her distraction having the desired effect. "Fan might be an exaggeration when it comes flowers. I think she mostly likes them because Harry Potter's mom was named after them."

The explanation made her laugh out loud, a few passengers turning their way to see if they could detect what had been so funny.

"You know that Lily can also mean…"

"…pure and beauty?" she finished.

He raised his eyebrows. "How'd you know?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're not the only one who reads."

Having failed to impress her with his trivia, he grudgingly mumbled "You forgot to mention that the flowers can also symbolize devotion and friendship."

"Didn't want to steal all of your spotlight."

When they got home, she put the arrangement into a vase. And as some of them began to wilt, she worryingly eyed one of the lilies – the prettiest, she thought – still blooming eagerly, as if to prove that it would be the strongest flower in the mix. As time progressed, she became increasingly concerned that it would soon die on her. She knew she was overreacting, that they could just get a new one to replace the other - but she didn't want a new one, only wanted to preserve the one that she had decided was her favorite.

One day, Castle hung the flower up to dry.

"That way, the most beautiful and strongest will never leave us," he murmured and Kate could hear the hint of amusement in his voice, but chose to ignore it since a thought had just crossed her mind.

"Lily."

"Yes," he laughed as he wrapped his arms around her to engulf her in a hug. "That is indeed a lily. Ten points to Kate Beckett."

"No," she said, leaning slightly backwards so that she could look him in the eye. "Lily," she repeated, carefully watching his features as she saw realization dawn across his face.

"And before you say that it's stupid or cliché to name a child after a flower, please consider…" was all she could get out, because Rick stopped her flow of words with his lips.

"I love it," he whispered as he pulled back.

* * *

"So," he says quietly. "Hey there, Lily."

It's the first time he called his daughter by her name to her face, erm, bump. He tries how the sound feels on his tongue and decides he loves it dearly.

"In conclusion, your name has the story it deserves. It took so long to find the perfect one. But it was definitely worth the wait. And I'm glad that your mom and I didn't actually have to discuss it – we're both extremely stubborn, you know. And Kate doesn't always appreciate my creative input."

He chuckles at the thought of all his antics she had to put up with throughout the years. His famous crazy theories which were only sometimes helpful, entertaining to a certain point, or just simply irritating and distracting while she was on the hunt for a killer. It only took a few days for Esposito to lose patience, and Kate had dealt with years of it.

"But we always find a way out of our disagreements. We butt heads for a while, and then we find common ground. But with both of our genes combined, I'm convinced that you will have an extremely strong will," he mumbles.

Rick is unable to suppress a yawn. He wants to continue talking. Surely there are many more stories he can tell, more profound wisdom he can share with their daughter - all the things he is going to have to repeat once she is actually able to hear and understand him, but he wants to get out anyway.

However, an "We love you so much," is all he manages to murmur. But for the moment, it suffices.

* * *

He is woken up by a hand grabbing his shoulder.

"Rick," he hears her familiar voice, but it doesn't really register, his mind still too tired and the lack of any form of light in the room not exactly helping him wake up.

"Babe."

She is shaking his shoulder less gently now, and Castle makes an effort to blink.

"Castle."

Kate's voice is filled with more urgency now, and he knows it must be important. He opens his eyes and turns his head towards where he assumes she is.

He wants to ask her what's wrong, but Kate starts speaking the second she knows he is paying attention.

"The baby's coming."

And all of a sudden, he is wide awake.


	10. Epilogue

**Epilogue - Month 10**

A sound from the monitor wakes her. This is only the second night they let Lily sleep in a separate room after having her crib in their room for the first four weeks. It took her a while to quiet the annoying voices in her head that kept repeating all the things that could possibly go wrong with this new arrangement. Kate managed to fall asleep eventually, but the smallest noise - even the quiet crack of the bed as he shifts - woke her. This time, however, the sound is definitely coming from the monitor.

She quickly grabs it, gets up and shuts it off before it can wake him up. For the past few weeks, he has mostly been the one to get up and soothe their baby when she screamed or cried in the middle of the night, claiming that he could take care of it now that he actually has access to her.

Lily is everything they could have wished for and more. Years ago, when Castle spoke about the unconditional love he felt the moment Alexis was born, it was his honesty and heartwarming expression of emotion that brought a smile to her face, but she didn't, couldn't understand what he meant. Until now.

As she crosses through the loft, her mind flashes back to a little over a month ago, the day that changed their lives.

* * *

She'd experienced pain a few times that day, but didn't think much of it. When she felt it first, Kate was concerned for a while. By the time she felt it the second time, she figured out that it was caused by contractions. But they were several hours apart, and so she didn't think it was smart to alarm Rick just yet.

From reading all the pamphlets and doing research online, she was aware that it could still take ages for her to go into active labor. If she told him about the few contractions she had had throughout the entire day, he would have probably overreacted and rushed her off to the hospital immediately.

She'd let him know in the morning, once they were both well-rested. There'd still be plenty of time left.

Kate had no trouble falling asleep, her last contraction had been a while ago. Her dreams were pleasant, images of Rick and their daughter, getting to hold her for the first time… and then something roused her from her slumber.

It hurt, but it was almost over once she was fully awake. She took a deep breath, thinking that she could probably go back to sleep in a few minutes once the ache she still felt echoing through her stomach subsided.

It almost worked, but then the pain she experienced earlier returned, stronger this time. But perhaps that was just because she was now fully conscious, she told herself. No reason to wake up the sleeping husband next to her.

Kate continued breathing, using Rick's steady rhythm as a guide to even her own. But her breath hitched as soon as another sharp pain shot through her stomach.

The pain was definitely increasing.

How long had it been since her last contraction? Ten minutes, five, two? She couldn't even finish the thought before more pain rippled through her. Definitely more frequent than they had been earlier that day. She watched the clock at her nightstand, counting the seconds that passed. Four minutes later, and she squeezed her eyes shut and struggled to withhold a moan.

She laid in the dark, debating on whether to wake Rick or not. It didn't take her long to make a decision.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, she gently shook it. "Rick."

He didn't reply, but she thought she noticed him stir a little bit.

"Babe," she said, louder now.

Castle moved, but he still failed to respond.

"Castle."

That seemed to prove the most effective. Kate could see him slowly turn his head towards her, trying to make out her features in the dark bedroom.

"The baby's coming."

That was all it took. He shot up, fully conscious within seconds.

"What?" he exclaimed as he tried to find a light switch, knocking over a few things on his nightstand in the process.

She started to laugh, but it was interrupted by another contraction.

"This wasn't supposed to happen for another two weeks," he said, his voice slightly panicky. He rushed through the room, finding clothes he could put on, barely avoiding tripping and falling over when he slid a sock onto his foot. Meanwhile, Kate remained seated on their bed. The sight of Castle so agitated made her giggle.

The sound made him stop dead in his tracks, his head whipping around midway through him getting dressed.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry. We need to get you dressed, I am so selfish, do you need help? Here, I can…"

"Rick, it's fine," she assured him. "I can dress myself."

But it didn't stop him from pulling out a few items of clothing and handing them to her. Once they were both ready, Castle pulled out a bag.

"I packed it a few days ago," he explained when he saw her astounded look. "Thought it would be better if we were prepared sooner rather than later. It should have everything important in it."

She didn't think she would ever be so grateful for his precise planning that had, on occasion, driven her crazy. But he never gave her time to utter a 'thank you,' only gently tucked on her arm and guided her out of the loft, out into the street, into a cab and straight to the hospital.

Everything in between was a blur of white walls and voices she didn't recognize. She noticed Rick speaking with the nurses, and then they were in a different room, and all of a sudden she was in a bed. She lost track of time, lost count of her contractions, didn't really care as she tried to breathe evenly through it all. She heard Rick murmur words of encouragement. Pain medication made it bearable, but it only did so much. And nothing really prepared her for what giving birth actually felt like.

She was sweating and panting and occasionally cursing, trying to focus on the instructions constantly directed her way.

"You can do it," she heard the low rumble of his voice, and she wanted to slap him, because he wasn't the one pushing a human being out of his body, was he? And yet she was thankful for the comfort the familiar sound of his voice provided.

"I hate you," she gritted through her teeth, but she was breathless and it came out weak. Castle merely chuckled in response, and the urge to slap him doubled. But other things distracted her, and he continued cheering her on.

It took forever, there was pain, and relief washed over her when it was all over. Her mind was blank, she nearly dozed off, incapable of concentrating on anything... but then she heard the cry, and she never thought that the sound would elicit such a stream of emotions from her.

It was what she held onto even as the exhaustion threatened to take over. And then she had her in her arms, and she was unable to stop the flow of tears streaming down her eyes. She was actually sobbing, and a small voice in the back of her head told her to get it together, but she silenced it and decided she didn't care. This was _their daughter_ ; she was right there in her arms. Finally.

She looked up with a wide grin plastered onto her face, knowing she probably looked insane with her tear-stained cheeks and bright smile, but when her gaze found Rick's, she saw he wore an expression similar to hers.

They didn't speak, only let their eyes do the talking, and then their attention was back on the little bundle in her arms. And in that moment, everything couldn't have been better.

* * *

She swiftly moves upstairs and down the corridor into Lily's nursery. The shrill sound of her crying pierces through the otherwise quiet floor. Alexis has gone out with friends, but Kate hopes that Lily will soon sleep through the night as to not constantly wake her up as well. Her and Castle suffering from sleep deprivation is enough, she doesn't need another member of the Castle family to sport dark circles.

Kate gently picks Lily up, wraps her in her blanket, and sits down in the rocking chair. Lily doesn't need a diaper change, isn't hungry, but she apparently craved someone's presence (and attention), because she begins to calm down the moment she is in her mother's arms.

Lily gargles and then goes quiet, looking up expectedly at her mom. When Kate doesn't say anything, just continues rocking them back and forth, she makes a noise again, louder this time. Then she goes quiet again, her eyes fixated on Kate's.

"You want me to talk?" she murmurs, and Lily gives her an adorable smile in return that melts her heart. "Okay then, but I'm not all that good at it." She chuckles. "I'd have to get your dad for that."

She missed the first time he talked, must have been sound asleep when he picked up the habit. But after that, she'd frequently caught bits and pieces of the one-sided conversation he was having with her bump. Sometimes, she'd wake up from the sound of his voice, even as he kept it to a whisper. Sometimes, she had been close to drifting off when she heard him speak. Sometimes, she tried her best to breathe as evenly and calmly as possible, waiting for what he had to tell their little one that particular night. Sometimes, the low and familiar rumble was what made her fall asleep.

As the months passed, she listened to him recount stories, share advice, hopes, and worries. She listened to him pour his love for her, Martha, Alexis, and their daughter into his words, and it astounded her – she didn't think she could fall even more in love with this man, but she did.

"He is the one with the words," she informs the bundle in her arms. She pauses, trying to figure out what to say next, trying to remember what he talked about whenever he didn't have an anecdote to share. "I want you to know how much I love you, sweetheart," she murmurs. "Your dad said it better than I ever could, but there are so many people who care about you. You already met most of them."

* * *

Somehow, while she was confused and unable to notice anything except for the increasingly worse contractions, Rick had called their family and friends to tell them that the Castle family was about to have an additional member. Esposito and Ryan were there almost immediately, since they were up extremely early due to a case that wouldn't let them take a break - but they figured that this was a perfect excuse to get away for at least a little bit. Lanie always had her phone next to her when she slept, prepared to get up the moment a body dropped. Alexis was easy to reach as well.

Only his mother and Jim were hard to get a hold of. It took several phone calls to Jim's house phone until he picked up, and murmured something incomprehensible – but the drowsiness left his voice the moment Castle's words registered with him. Martha proved to be more of an issue. Numerous phone calls failed to reach her, and Castle wondered whether that was because she had misplaced it, or because she'd had one or two glasses of wine too many. It took Alexis pounding on her apartment door to tell her the good news.

When she was ready, they came in one by one. Fortunately, Alexis had had the foresight to bring tissues.

* * *

"We almost had to chase them out of the door at some point; they couldn't take their eyes off of you. I can't blame them though," she laughs as she gazes down. "Everyone's been saying that you have my eyes. But the glint in them is definitely from him," she adds. "And given that you keep waking up at night, you definitely adapted your dad's sleeping habits."

In the dim lighting of the room, Kate lovingly looks down at Lily. She wants to memorize exactly how their daughter looks, the outline of her face, the shape of her tiny body, and how she slowly blinks as she falls asleep once again.

"You're tired, huh?" she laughs and can't hold back a yawn herself. She rises, careful not to disturb Lily in any way, and gently places her back in her crib. "Yeah, me too. I can see why your dad did this for months, it's like I'm telling myself a bedtime story… although I think I'll wait until you're fully conscious to share my life stories with you."

"So you heard?" comes a soft murmur from the door that startles her. "Sorry," he apologizes. "I woke up when I heard her through the monitor, but you beat me to it."

Kate slowly moves over to him and leans against his chest, Rick's arms wrapping around her in an automatic response. "How long have you been standing there?" she asks.

"Pretty much since the beginning. The sight of you two was just too adorable," he laughs silently. "I think the more important question is: How long have you been listening to me speaking to myself?"

"Pretty much since the beginning," she copies his reply.

"I hope I didn't keep you up, I tried to be as quiet as possible," he murmurs, and she immediately notices the hint of guilt.

"You didn't. I loved listening to you. Actually, I think it was kind of cute."

"Really?" She can hear the smirk in his voice.

She lifts her head and her eyes meet his. "Really. Lily couldn't ask for a better dad."

"Well, I do have an RHD in child care," he jokes, and she knows he sees her eyes roll. "And you have an SAM."

"A what now?" she raises her eyebrows.

"Super Attractive Mom." She tries and fails to cover up the smile stretching across her lips.

But then, as she turns towards the crib and watches their daughter sleeping peacefully, she can't stop the thoughts going through her head; the worries she suppressed and shut out for weeks and rarely ever gave a voice to.

Castle notices, of course he does. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Will I be a good mom?" she chokes out, and she feels stupid, so stupid – but she doesn't want to do anything wrong, is concerned that she won't be home enough or that she won't be able to give Lily everything she needs and deserves.

"Hey, hey, shhh," Rick comforts her, rubbing his hands across her back. "You'll be the best, you _are_ the best." But he can tell she isn't convinced. "I thought you'd been listening to me. Didn't I tell her why you'd be a great mom?"

She gives him a slight smile. "You did."

"You're already everything she needs. She is in the safest hands when she is with you. And I know you're an extraordinary mom."

"How do you know that?" she whispers, slowly calmly down but the question is still genuine.

"Because you're an extraordinary person."

She smiles at him. "You're not so bad yourself."

"Come on, let's go back to bed before she decides she needs something else," he suggests, gesturing towards the door.

Kate walks out and turns to see Rick still hovering around the crib. "No more regular nighttime chats, Lily," he sighs. "So I guess this is it," he murmurs.

She can't help but notice the slight hint of disappointment when he says it. "Doesn't have to be," she reminds him.

And it isn't.

Weeks pass, and when Lily wakes up during the night, and he happens to be the one to check on her, he talks to her about everything and nothing in particular until the sound of his voice has lulled her back to sleep, while Kate listens to it through the monitor still in their room.

Months pass, and Rick begins reading her bedtime stories at every chance that he gets, sometimes inventing his own or altering already existing ones so that she never has to hear the same one twice unless she demands he read her Rapunzel again.

Years pass, and now it is Lily slowly reading passages of her favorite stories to them, their eyes filled with pride as they watch their daughter decipher letters and words.

Time passes, but the stories shared between them never end.

 _The End._

* * *

 **A/N:** _.. aaaand that concludes this fic, and my first ever multichapter story. A special "thank you" goes to Faith who put up with my countless texts in which I complained about being stuck/not able to finish, insecure about my writing etc. - thanks for always encouraging me. Finally, thanks to each and every single one of you for taking the time to read this, for reviewing, favoriting, and following this story (even after I took a while to upload the more recent chapters).Your support/feedback for this story was incredible. I look forward to hearing what you think of this final chapter. Thanks for coming on this journey with me! :)_


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